The present invention relates to control systems for model vehicles, in particular, model trains, and more particularly to variable control using a single button.
A typical model train controller includes a throttle, which may be in the form of a dial, a slider or a rotating arm. The controller will typically have a series of buttons that can activate a brake, boost, change of direction, bell, and a whistle or horn. Different sounds can be stored and replayed automatically upon the activation of either of the bell, brake, throttle, or whistle/horn button. An example of a patent illustrating different model train sounds is U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,851. U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,094 shows multiple sounds stored in the memory with their selection being based up the speed of the train. Other patents describing train sounds include U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,017 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,681.
A system for horn/whistle control was contemplated in the LIONEL trainmaster system, where two horn commands were supplied in the protocol to trigger two different horn/whistle sounds. The control was expected to use either a two position switch or two separate switches. The controller for this feature was never developed.
In the area of music keyboards, pressure-sensitive keys can be used to reproduce desired music. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,999 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,705.
In other technology areas, such as computer peripherals, pressure-sensitive buttons that do not move significantly, but rather are slightly depressed, are used.
Some mice and other input devices also include force-sensitive inputs. Interlink U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,334 shows a microstick mounted on a Force Sensing Resistor® (a registered trademark of Interlink Electronics).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,144 shows a mouse with an integrated touchpad. The touchpad can include an elongated portion which acts as a slide-bar, allowing analog control. The touchpad can also detect varying pressure to provide another input dimension.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,473, issued to inventor Brad Armstrong, shows a computer mouse with a pressure-sensitive depressible button. The button can be used to provide scrolling, with the speed of the scrolling varying with the applied pressure. The button is an elastomeric dome-cap button in which the dome-cap collapses to come in contact with a compressible, partially conductive element, which is a carbon in an elastomeric or rubber binder. The more pressure applied to the conductive element, the more electricity it will conduct.
One type of pressure-sensitive input element is a resistor which senses force, such as the Force Sensing Resistor® force-sensitive resistor (FSR®) available from Interlink Electronics. Such a force-sensitive resistor typically includes two conductors mounted on spaced apart substrates, with the substrates being compressed to close the gap and provide contact between the conductors. The signal output varies in accordance with the area of contact. An example is set forth in Interlink U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,936. Interlink advertises use of such input elements on remote controls for TVs, PC products and videoconferencing systems. They are also used for mice and keyboards.
Another pressure-sensitive force transducer is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,302.